ALEXANDRIA, La. (5/22/2026) – Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) and the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) have entered into a new Memorandum of Understanding designed to create a direct pathway for LSUA students pursuing careers in pharmacy. The agreement expands opportunities for students seeking to enter one of Louisiana’s most critical healthcare professions.
The pathway is specifically designed to address ongoing pharmacist shortages in rural and underserved regions of the state while creating clearer, more intentional routes into healthcare careers for Louisiana students. Under the agreement, LSUA students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in biology or chemistry with a pre-professional concentration will receive dedicated advising aligned to ULM’s pharmacy prerequisites and may become eligible to apply to pharmacy school after completing as few as 67 credit hours.
As part of the agreement, ULM’s College of Pharmacy will reserve five seats per entering class in its Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program for qualified LSUA students who meet admission requirements and demonstrate a commitment to serving rural or underserved communities in Louisiana. ULM is home to Louisiana’s only public college of pharmacy, making the partnership especially significant for students across central Louisiana seeking an affordable and accessible pathway into the profession.
“LSUA is committed to building pathways that make it easier for Louisiana students to enter the professions our state needs most,” said Liz Beard, Ph.D., LSUA Provost and incoming Chancellor. “This partnership with ULM creates a clear and affordable route for students interested in pharmacy while helping address a critical healthcare shortage in rural communities. As a public university focused on workforce development and student success, this is exactly the kind of collaboration we should be pursuing.”
Nate Sammons, Ph.D., Dean of LSUA’s College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, noted that the agreement reflects LSUA’s growing emphasis on connecting undergraduate education directly to professional and graduate opportunities.
“Our faculty work closely with students to prepare them for highly competitive professional programs, and this agreement creates another strong opportunity for students pursuing careers in healthcare,” Sammons said. “By aligning advising, coursework, and professional school expectations, we are helping students move more confidently from undergraduate study into advanced healthcare training.”
The agreement also includes a commitment by both institutions to support students interested in returning to practice pharmacy in rural Louisiana communities. That effort includes connecting students with healthcare systems and pharmacy employers, promoting awareness of rural practice incentives and loan forgiveness programs, and tracking long-term workforce outcomes associated with the partnership.
The partnership is part of LSUA’s long-term strategy of developing workforce-aligned pathways into professional programs across Louisiana. In recent years, the university has expanded partnerships in medicine, veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, aviation, engineering, and allied health to ensure students across central Louisiana have greater access to high-demand careers without leaving the region to begin their education.
Written by Adam Lord
Photo credit – Brice Jones | University of Louisiana at Monroe
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